The Life Is Strange games have been a bit hit and miss for me over the years.
And Double Exposure continues in that tradition.
The pace of this game is different from your usual all-in gaming fare.
There’s a lot of build up, a lot of character development over hours of gameplay, and actually - not as much gameplay as you’d expect.
At its worst it can be a bit dull, at its best there are some sparkling acting moments.
It’s a point-and-click style title with some puzzles and decision-making thrown in. True to form for the series.
But the added mechanism of being able to dart between two planes in the same world to solve puzzles, navigate complex campus social dynamics and move on to the next part adds an extra spice that really elevates this game.
Deck Nine Games have spent four years lovingly creating this world.
And their efforts are there for all to see on screen, with stunning motion capture graphics technology allowing the acting to really sell the murder mystery story over five chapters.
You play a returning Max Caulfield, no longer a kid, and now photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University.
It isn’t long before Max discovers her closest new friend, Safi, dead in the snow. Murdered.
To save her, Max tries to Rewind time – a secret supernatural power first seen in the 2015 original title and one she’s not used in years.
Instead, Max opens the way to a parallel timeline where Safi is still alive, and still in danger.
Max realises the killer will soon strike again – in both versions of reality.
Only Max can shift between the two parallel timelines to solve and prevent the same murder.
The acting is first class. Visually, you get so much natural human read on the character faces that the story feels deep and is constantly engaging.
The voice-recording too is strong and fully helps to immerse you in the game.
Music also plays a massive part to Double Exposure and a rich original score from Tessa Rose Jackson and Feel For Music really helps to give the title its own paced vibe.
There are dozens of licensed tracks to bring the world to life.
But the gameplay itself and choices made to affect the branching storyline are a little too subtle and rarely taxing.
It’s really there to aid the storytelling and build out the lore, like an interactive movie.
As such there can be long stretches where the story slows or gets bogged down and it feels a little chore-like to keep grinding on.
VERDICT 3/5
